Creating Lifelong Bonds

For almost 30 years, I have had the pleasure of interviewing prospective students for Bryn Mawr College. As part of that process, I have fielded a wide range of questions about the Bryn Mawr experience, from the ridiculous to the sublime. By far, though, my favorite is some variation of “as an alumna, what is the most special thing about Bryn Mawr?” asked only by a savvy handful of students over the years.

Invariably, my answer is “hands down, the faculty.”

Most folks who don’t swim in academic waters don’t realize that the nature of faculty varies widely from one institution to another. From the outside, a professor’s lot looks much the same: teaching, grading, research, publishing. But for the faculty who elect to be at a place like Bryn Mawr, there is a distinguishing characteristic: a deep commitment to students and the development of their character, intellect, and thinking. Bryn Mawr professors variously wear the hats of therapist, confidante, cheerleader, mentor, friend, taskmaster, career counselor — and that doesn’t end on graduation day.

My Bryn Mawr professors were tremendous role models. Everything I know about being an impactful university professor I learned from them, but also, maybe more importantly, they demonstrated how to nurture and steward each new generation of young adults.

I have remained friends with several of my former professors for nearly four decades. I have attended their retirements (most recently for David Karen), dinner parties, milestone anniversaries, and in some sad cases, memorial services. In turn, through the years, they have shown up for lectures I have given, sent me notes of encouragement, and celebrated my successes with me.

I have heard similar stories from so many alumnae/i over the years. And if you ask the eldest of our living alums (as I do in the oral histories I have been collecting) to name the most influential people in their lives, they will always list one or more of the professors who guided and shaped their lives so many years ago.

My professor Bob Washington passed away last year, and his partner (a Bryn Mawr alumna, herself) insisted that his memorial be held right before Reunion. She shared with me the importance of that annual event to him, how much he loved attending and seeing the “children of his heart,” hearing about their lives, reveling in their successes. That affection for and commitment to our students is the beauty of our community, and it is so precious.